Portable electronic devices (for example, notebook computers; personal digital assistants; handheld computers; cellular telephones; etc.) often have clamshell- or slider-type configurations. In a clamshell configuration, two halves comprising the portable electronic device are joined by a hinge on a common side. The two halves are configured to pivot about the hinge during opening and closing operations. The clamshell configuration has advantages. In particular, when a portable electronic device having a clamshell configuration is closed, the display and keyboard are hidden from view and protected by the housing.
This is in contrast to a so-called “monoblock” (candybar) configuration where the display and keyboard are mounted in a unitary housing and exposed at all times. In such a configuration the display is vulnerable to scratching, and the keyboard vulnerable to contamination by, for example, liquids.
In a portable electronic device having a slider configuration, the two halves comprising the device are connected by a slider connection that permits relative movement between the halves from an open position to a closed position. In a slider-type portable electronic device, the display is typically exposed at all times, and the keyboard is hidden from view when the device is in the closed position. Such a configuration protects the keyboard from damage when the portable electronic device is not in use.
Conventional portable electronic devices having clamshell- and slider-type configurations have been found in some instances to be susceptible to damage when dropped. Often, dropping the portable electronic devices causes bending or twisting of one or both of the halves comprising the portable electronic device. The bending or twisting can be particularly harmful to fragile electronic parts comprising the portable electronic devices such as, for example, the display.
Accordingly, those skilled in the art seek improved structures for supporting a clamshell- or slider-type portable electronic device, particularly structures that significantly reduce the risk of damage to the device when the device is dropped, or exposed to other accident situations where external forces are applied to the device.